The Weekly News Update is a weekly roundup of business news from around the Asia-Pacific region, covering Fusion Consulting's core industry practices: chemicals, consumer & retail, financial services, industrial & logistics, information & communication technology, life science and media & leisure. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.  Life science

India - Vitabiotics plans foray into OTC market Source: Business Standard, 28 March 2008 UK-based nutritional and food supplement company Vitabiotics plans to strengthen its presence in India by setting up manufacturing and research facilities. It also plans to launch its globally sold over-the-counter (OTC) products in the country. In the next five years, the company plans to introduce its entire range of over 30 products in the Rs30 billion (US$752 million) nutritional and food supplement OTC market in India.    Meyer Vitabiotics, the Indian arm of Vitabiotics, will manufacture the products at its existing units in Bangalore and Mumbai. The company plans to set up two new US Food and Drug Administration-compliant manufacturing units in Hassan (Karnataka) and at a suitable site in Himachal Pradesh. The company had recently set up a R&D facility in Mumbai and would start a similar facility in Bangalore in the near future. India - Domestic pharma firms leave MNCs far behind Source: Sify, 28 March 2008 When India moved to product patent from 1 January 2005, there were fears that share of multinationals in Indian pharma will increase at fast pace as their products will be protected by product patent regime. However, Indian pharmaceutical companies have managed to hold the domestic fort. Out of top 10 pharma companies in Indian, eight are domestic players. What's more, almost all domestic companies have managed double digit growth in sales between February 2006 and February 2008, higher than most MNCs. Indian companies have not only broken the supremacy of GSK Pharmaceuticals, which was number one company in the Indian markets for years, but also made inroads into the world markets. Singapore - Bio*One takes US$10 million stake in Alexza Source: Business Times Singapore, 28 March 2008 Singapore biomedical investment firm Bio*One Capital has pumped US$10 million into Alexza Pharmaceuticals in a deal that involves the Nasdaq-listed company setting up a manufacturing plant in Singapore. The investment will give Bio*One a 3.8% stake in Alexza. Alexza has set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Alexza Singapore Pte. Ltd., that will make the disposable version of its proprietary drug delivery system called Staccato. Alexza is yet to find a site for its Singapore plant, but is looking for a partner in the Republic so that it does not have to build its own facility from scratch. It hopes to start initial production for use in clinical trials in 2009.. Place articles here.   View an example of our experience in this industry. Back to list of articles.  Visit our new website to sign up for free intelligence on Asian markets.

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